When they got up early in the morning, Wu Changshi and Chen Zilong accompanied Zhang Pu and Wu Weiye outside the left gate of Chang'an. The three hundred and forty-nine new jinshi on the Xinwei Jia list were all on standby outside the north of Jinshui Bridge and Taihe Gate, divided into two lines, the odd number entered the Zhaode Gate, and the even number entered the Zhendu Gate, kneeling behind the Danqi in turn.

Chongzhen Palace, the ministers kneeling and knocking have been completed, Zhou Yanru got up and went straight to the yellow case, held the gold list with both hands, walked to Danqi, and handed over to Xu Guangqi, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites. Xu Guangqi turned around and put the gold list on the small table covered with yellow satin, raised a few in a row, and lowered the Danqi from the left step, placing the list in the dragon pavilion in the middle of the imperial road. The officials of Honglu Temple sang loudly and slowly: "Spread the rumors! The official of the Ministry of Rites went out to read out the edict: "Fengtian carries the emperor's edict and says: On March 15 of the fourth year of Chongzhen, the tributaries of the world will be tested; The first class is given to the Jinshi and the first; The second class was born as a jinshi; The third Jiaci was born as a jinshi. Chin this! What followed was the roll call of the officials of Honglu Temple: "The first place Chen Yutai ---- the first place" The last word is not over, and the music is great. Chen Yutai, who was kneeling behind, immediately got up, hurried forward, crossed all the grade mountains, and knelt behind the paper reader. "First and second place Wu Weiye ----" Wu Weiye left the class and knelt on the left side of the champion.

Zhang Pu was secretly surprised when he heard that the champion was indeed Chen Yutai. Then he heard Wu Weiye's high school list, Xia Yuehu ordered Tanhua, he was the first in the top three, and his heart suddenly felt cold, the second and third only sang a total number, and saluted with the crowd in the same place, no need to go out of class, naturally it was difficult to enter the emperor's dragon eye. The top three give the same Jinshi and the first, most of them are released to a county, the mountains are high and the road is far away, I don't know when I can come back? Even if he stays in Beijing, he is also a lonely petty official at the end of the year, and the major events of the military temple are difficult to participate in, and there is really no way to serve the country and help the world! He felt depressed for a while, raised his eyes and looked into the distance, and saw Chongzhen on the throne looking down at everyone, his eyes seemed to be looking this way. Zhang Pu was depressed in his heart, the ceremony had ended, Chongzhen was looking at the throne from afar, and watched the "Three Dingjia" go out of the main gate from the royal road. The drum music is preceded, the ceremonial officials hold the list, and the "Sanding Jia" follows, and the imperial road is in the middle of the Huangji Gate, the Noon Gate and the end gate as the main gate of the Forbidden City. Straight to the south, is the Chengtian Gate, Daming Gate. He came out with everyone, looking at the crowd outside, it was already very lively, knowing that Wu Weiye would also accompany the champion to cross the horse and parade the streets, and show off in the red dust of Jiumo in the capital, and the seniors of the province and the government in the capital would come to say goodbye, and they had to socialize, so they had to go back to the hall to wait. Next, the Ministry of Rites gave the champion and the Jinshi banquet, went to the Honglu Temple to practice the ceremony of thanksgiving, and paid tribute to the temple of the ancestors...... For several days, it was very busy. After these things are done, the new science and technology jinshi will also pay homage to the master of the house according to the custom, starting from Zhou Yanru, and he will have to pay homage.

Shihu Hutong is very lively, Zhou Yanru's Mansion is full of people, Xinke Jinshi invited to worship the lord in twos and threes, and there are also people who are grateful for the teacher's kindness to run for activities. Twilight, there is still a touch of red glow left in the West Mountain, four sedan chairs turned into Shihu Hutong, just saw the towering gatehouse of the Zhou Mansion, the sedan chair stopped far away, Zhang Pu, Wu Weiye, Wu Changshi, Chen Zilong four people came down from the sedan chair, Wu Changshi saw that several people gathered at the gate of the Zhou Mansion had a long escort with gifts, pulled Zhang Pu and said urgently: "Tianru, what did I say before I came?" Where is the principle of empty-handed apprenticeship? Look at the people at the door, which one of them is not prepared for respect? ”

Zhang Pu was not in a hurry, and said with a smile: "Come, people from such a family as me, although they can't be said to be poor, what kind of gifts can they prepare to get into Shoufu's blue eyes?" You can rest assured that Shousuke will not be less of us than this little courtesy. Why, do you still think it's a bundle of repairs to be sent when you enter the school? ”

"Tianru, you don't know the world! This time, it was your new science and technology scholars who came to the door to apprentice according to the routine, and their hands were empty, how can they be respected? ”

"Just with our ten-year cold window, eight years of travel, and a splendid article spit out by a healthy pen." Without waiting for Zhang Pu to respond, Wu Weiye said proudly. At the age of twenty-three, he is even in the middle of the Yuan, the list of eyes, is a fortunate thing that can be encountered in life but can not be forced, the young man is ambitious, in front of his teachers and friends, he can't help but be full of spirit.

"Splendid article? Hehe......" Wu Changshi sneered: "If you rely on articles to select talents, then what tragic people have not met since ancient times?" Since the opening of the Sui Dynasty, there have been more than a few thousands of Jinshi in the article? Besides, you are a Jinshi, and you are still far from ruling the world! The best future is only to be selected as a scholar, and after three years of study in the Hanlin Academy, the best one will stay in the Hanlin Academy for editing or reviewing, and the second will be for the middle of the matter or the imperial history. Otherwise, all of a sudden, put it in a remote place to be a county, a piece of land the size of a palm, more than 100 people, how to display the ambition of Qingyun? After a few years, I can't help but be in the Tianshan Mountains and get old in Cangzhou. Isn't it true that a saint is pure and pure in everything, so he should also be flexible! Change is common, general is long, don't care about the right way, as long as you achieve the work, why not? ”

"That's the truth. It's just that in a hurry, I can't prepare any chic gifts, Zhou Ge is always the No. 1 minister of Tianzi, and the characters are elegant, if the gift is not good, it is better not to send it. Zhang Pu was originally an informal person, and when he heard Wu Chang, he was reasonable, and suddenly felt like playing chess but looking at the general trend and omitting a move, and he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.

Chen Zilong echoed: "What can the dignified old mansion lack, even if the gold, silver and jewelry are piled up like a mountain, will there be a shortage of these few objects?" If you don't like it, it's better not to send it. ”

"I prepared a good red official in Jiangxi Leadshan Mansion, and wrote a protégé post, the sage just said that it was enough, why bother with those weeks?" Wu Weiye thought about the friendship of his father's deacons, and the rest of the gifts were not very important.

Wu Changshi was going to persuade again: the weight of the gift is not important, but it is related to the heart. Seeing that the three of them didn't care, and they didn't want to be strong with each other, they were angry in their hearts, and said perfunctorily: "Okay, okay, anyway, Wozi and I are not in school today, and we will accompany the prince to study at the Prime Minister's Mansion." If you are angry with Zhou Ge Lao and ruin your career, you can not blame others. ”

The four of them argued to the gate of the house, and raised their eyes to see the gatehouse of the three green and blue, the black lacquer gate was tightly closed, and only one side of the corner door was opened. Xiangye ordered all to be exempted from worship, and leaving the protégé's post was considered a ceremony. ”

Those Jinshi were enthusiastic to meet the lord, but they were unwilling to meet them, and they were still lingering outside the mansion. Wu Weiye ordered the long entourage of the post to hand over the worship box, and five taels of broken silver, and said with a smile: "We are here to pay homage to the teacher, please let me know." ”

A house slave staggered out of the door, took the post, pinched the silver first, and sneered: "My family has business today, and he hasn't returned to the court yet...... You are Wu, Wu ......" glanced at the big red prayer post, looked much more respectful, and asked politely.

"Down there is Wu Weiye."

The house slave took the silver and said in a low voice: "When the master went to court, he left a message, if Zhang Pu and Wu Weiye come to invite them to the meeting, the other Jinshi will only leave a protégé post and send it back." Are you really Wu Weiye? ”

"A few days ago, the Ministry of Rites just verified your identity, you still don't believe it?" Wu Weiye was sarcastic, but he couldn't bear it.

"Which of the three people behind you is Zhang Pu?"

Zhang Pu looked coldly at the appearance of a few powerful slaves on the side, and actually commanded the Jinshi of Jinke, and was resentful in his heart, he really achieved the Tao alone, and the chicken and dog ascended to heaven, and he couldn't help but think of the evil servants at home, and he gritted his teeth with hatred.

The Taicang Zhang family is a famous family. Zhang Pu's father Zhang Yizhi was the third in line, his eldest uncle Zhang Fuzhi was the secretary of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing, and the second uncle died early. Zhang Yizhi married his wife Lu, and then married Pan, and there were three side rooms: Ye, Wang, and Jin. Among the three rooms, the big room is famous and famous, Xuan He is a while, the orphans and widows in the second room, and the students in the third room are too students to stop the scientific examination, and they have no fame, so they broke off the idea of the imperial examination early, abandoned Confucianism and business, and in a few years, the family was rich. Although Zhang Fuzhi is an official of the second grade, he can't stay as good as Beijing, Nanjing's Ministry of Industry is like a clear water yamen, there is not much oil and water to fish, seeing that the third brother has access to financial resources and a prosperous family business, he can't help but be anxious and hot, and repeatedly encroach and bully. The eldest brother is like a father, Zhang Yizhi saw that his brother was a high official, and the ten sons under his house were only over twenty years old, and the younger one was only ** years old, and there was no one who could be counted on immediately, so he had to swallow his anger, and did not hesitate to invite a famous Confucian master to learn from the silver, hoping that his son would become a dragon. Zhang Pu's biological mother Jin was the latest to start, Zhang Pu ranked eighth, and he was not valued by the sect, and the house slaves in the big house looked down on him. Zhang Pu was angry and studied hard, entered school at the age of six, and could recite thousands of words a day at the age of seven, and the books he read were copied by hand, and he recited them again after copying, and then burned them and copied them, and so on until he repeated them six or seven times, he named the hut where he was reading. Zhang Pu studied hard for several years, the name of the text was first revealed, but suddenly there was a disaster, the door of the big house instigated the old wing to the state to falsely accuse the wing, although the lawsuit was not substantiated to find out, the wing was plotted by this, angry in the heart, closed his eyes and shook his head every day, weeping and sighing, less than a year, passed away suddenly. Zhang Pu stabbed his arm with a knife, dripping blood on the wall, and vowed: "If you don't take revenge on your slaves, you are not a son of man!" When the house slave of the big house saw it, he laughed and said, "You are a little child, what revenge can you have?" Which is afraid of you! Zhang Pu felt a great pain in his heart, and turned to pay attention to the imperial examination texts, and read the "Discussion of Famous Ministers of the Past Dynasties" compiled by Huang Huai, Yang Shiqi and other Feng Yu proficiently, and became a doctoral disciple at the age of nineteen, and his reputation soared. At the age of 21, he set up an account and taught apprentices, at the age of 23, he founded the Ying Society, and at the age of 28, he joined the Tianwen Society as a resumption of the Society...... Over the years, the momentum has been tilted towards the government and the opposition, but the evil breath of childhood has not come out, today I saw this class of slaves, and suddenly recalled the humiliation suffered, heard the slaves shouting, stepped forward, and replied proudly: "No." ”

"You two can come in, the two of them haven't been instructed, I don't know what role it is, I'm sorry, just wait outside!" Hao Nu stretched out his hand to stop Wu Changshi and Chen Zilong, and the two were already ashamed to fall off the list, and they were ridiculed by Hao Nu, but they had no face to argue and retreated.

Zhang Pu was furious, slapped a palm on the face of the slave, and said loudly: "Everything is inferior, but only reading is high." You're just a watchdog in the old mansion, and you dare to make fun of readers? ”

Nahao Nu had never been so humiliated in his life, he was stunned for a moment, covered his face and was stunned for a moment, before he came back to his senses and shouted: "Let's say that you are a guest ordered by the Prime Minister, and I will salute you for three points." I don't want you to be so bold and run to the Prime Minister's Mansion to spread wild. Come on! ”

The slaves inside the door heard the shouting, and the hula came out together, and the two slaves led by the two slaves rushed towards the four of them with sticks, and the few Jinshi who were waiting to pay homage to the lord were so frightened that they scattered. Wu Weiye has been sick and pampered since he was a child, where has he seen such a formation, his face has already been shocked, and he said again and again: "There is something to say, there is something to say, the gentleman does not move, do not be rude!" How the slaves were willing to listen, shouting and rushing up.

Chen Zilong shouted, jumped up, and blocked the three of them. The two slaves waved the sticks and hit the head, Chen Zilong was not in a hurry, seeing that the stick could hit the top of his head, his body turned sharply, and several sticks were all in the air, only to see his long arm stretched out and shook it, holding the stick, the two slaves made a stupid force, the pounce was too fierce, and he couldn't stop it, so he gave him a lead to the momentum, and both fell to the ground, with his feet facing the sky, and a stick was in his hand. Chen Zilong laughed, took the stick in his hand, and did not fight back, frustrated step and raised his wrist, danced out of a stick, knocked, hit, pointed, picked, the stick shadow lined up the mountain, the wind and thunder burst out, not long, the stick shadow and the figure were in one place, like a wheel like rolling and rotating, a thick and heavy stick in his hand, but like the embroidered female finger in the pavilion as light and ingenious! Everyone was shocked when they saw it, Chen Zilong danced on a whim, retracted the move, and poked the stick into the ground, and the stick was inserted straight into the ground, and everyone was shocked.

Chen Zilong took a few breaths and beckoned: "Come on, come on, don't be afraid of death!" The slaves retreated again and again, fled into the gate, and said, "Wait for the masters, and see if you find someone to clean you up!" ”

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yanru was sending the guests out, and when he saw them fleeing in embarrassment, he scolded angrily: "You bastards, what are you doing in a daze? There are no rules at all! ”

Several people were so frightened that they couldn't make a sound, Zhou Yanru saw that they were all silent, and became more and more annoyed, and the beaten slave knew that he couldn't hide it, so he snorted: "Master, someone came to the door to commit murder and beat the small ones, and the small ones just wanted to find someone to take revenge, and they didn't want to collide with Xiangye." ”

"Who are they?" Zhou Yanru was stunned when he saw four scribes in Confucian clothes outside the door. Wu Weiye had several relationships with Zhou Yanru when he was a child, and he vaguely remembered his appearance, Zhou Yanru did not change much, but he was slightly fatter, his beard was more, and he added a lot of dignity and majesty, and hurriedly stepped forward and saluted deeply: "Uncle, do you remember your little nephew?" ”

Zhou Yanru saw that he was a pink-faced and elegant Confucian scholar, so he liked himself a little first, took a closer look, and said in surprise: "You are a great cause?" Ah, in the snap of his fingers, he is already a beautiful man in the wind of Yushu. How is your father? Come in! ”

Zhang Pu and the three of them also stepped forward to pay a visit, Zhou Yanru smiled and bowed his head, seeing that the three of them had different faces, Chen Zilong was heroic, Wu Changshi was thin and smart, needless to say, he looked Zhang Pu up and down, and saw that Zhang Pu was calm and calm, and there was a heroic spirit in his gestures. Zhang Pu also looked at Zhou Yanru carefully, and saw that he was richly dressed, dignified and elegant, favored by God, and gathered beauty, talent and wealth in him. At this time, Zhou Yanru closed his gaze, pointed to the tall and thin man who was about the same age as him beside him, and said, "This person is Chen Dalai, the champion of this department." ”

Everyone was depressed and uneven, but they looked up for a long time, and after a few words of greeting, Chen Yutai got into the sedan chair and left. The four of them followed Zhou Yanru into the door, and together they looked at a few slaves with their eyes, and a few slaves turned around and hid aside, and they didn't dare to come out. Wu Changshi whispered to Chen Zilong in the back, "When did you learn this kind of kung fu?" ”

Chen Zilong smiled mysteriously and said, "You forgot Yu Lianhe? ”

"It turns out that you also apprenticed to the teacher!" That Yu Lianhe is a rare person in the Fu Society, who is a native of Shuzhong, obsessed with the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River, and stays for a long time, and his family's martial arts are quite famous in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

"Congratulations, congratulations! Sit, sit, all of you! Walking into Haochun Xuan, Zhou Yanru's face floated with the kind of smile that he was happy to see Jia's children, and pointed to the Huali back chair in the Xuan. How dare the four of them sit down easily, Zhang Pu and Wu Weiye first paid homage with a big ceremony from teachers and students, and Wu Changshi and Chen Zilong also saluted before they carefully took a seat.

Zhou Yanru looked at the four of them: "I am the main examiner this time, and I can recruit you young talents for the country, and I am very relieved in my life." The article of Weiye I presented to the emperor to read, the emperor also admired, even called the current Kede people, Zhu Bi Yu approved the 'Zhengda Boya, foot style treacherous' eight characters, this is my dynasty for many years has not had. The emperor appreciated it so much, and I was relieved, so those little people didn't dare to talk anymore. ”

Zhang Pu bowed slightly, and said with a respectful expression: "It's all up to the teacher." Nowadays, the world is declining, but it is inevitable to spend the belly of a gentleman with the heart of a villain. Sage Yun: The gentleman is harmonious but different, Zhou is not comparable, cautious but not fighting, and the group is not the party. Those treacherous villains in the court and the central government are confused, and Jun Gong has tasted a lot of hardships in the past few days. ”

According to the established practice, Wen Changqing should be the main examiner of this subject, and if he failed to do so, he must have secretly regretted it, and wanted to stir up the situation and make some trouble. Xue Guoguan, who was on the fold, was his protégé, and he was naturally willing to be his pawn. However, then again, who doesn't want the heroes of the world to come out of their own doors? Everyone has compassion, but there is no need to be guilty, as long as it is enough to deal with it. Zhou Yanru broke the cause of the incident, but he slightly excused others, and his mind was extremely broad-minded.